WOMEN IN HISTORY

Queen Mary, consort to King George V, was the grandmother of our dear Queen, Elizabeth II. During the Great War, wishing to do her bit for the war effort, this Queen instituted an austerity drive at the Palace, where she rationed food, and visited the wounded and dying servicemen in the hospitals. Queen Mary was tireless in supporting her husband, the King, and later her son, King George VI.

Princess Victoria Mary (“May” within the family) of Teck was born on 26th May, 1867, at Kensington Palace, London. Her father was Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, and her mother was Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge (who was a granddaughter of King George III). Whilst visiting the new baby Princess, Queen Victoria wrote that she was: “a very fine one, with pretty little features and a quantity of hair.” Little “May” was christened in the Chapel Royal of Kensington Palace, on 27th July, 1867. She was called “May” within the family after the month this little Princess was born in. “May” was named Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes. She was the only daughter and had three brothers.

May grew up playing with her cousins, the children of the Prince of Wales, all of whom were very similar in age. The up-bringing was “merry but fairly strict” at Kensington Palace and White Lodge, Richmond Park. Her mother and governess were her ‘teachers.’ May’s mother may have been a granddaughter of King George III but they were only minor members of the British Royal Family. May’s mother and father had a very small annual income, her mother gave freely to charities and her father was always on debt. The family moved abroad with a small staff in 1883 to economize, and they travelled Europe, visiting relatives. This only added to May’s education as she continuously visited art galleries, churches, museums and she became fluent in English, German and French.

In 1885, the family returned to London where May served as her mother’s ‘unofficial’ secretary, helping to organize parties and social events. May was sixteen years of age.

In 1886, May was introduced at Court and became engaged to Prince Albert, the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (1891), she was twenty-four years of age. Queen Victoria was very fond of May, as she liked May’s strong character and strong sense of duty. Sadly, a few weeks before the wedding, Prince Albert died during the ‘influenza pandemic’ (1891-92). Sharing her grief with Prince George, the Duke of York (and Prince Albert’s younger brother), the two young people became close. Prince George was now second in line to the throne and it seemed only appropriate that he propose to his late brother’s bride. May, of course, accepted and the two fell in love.

Mary and George married on 6th July, 1893, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace. The young couple, the Duke and Duchess of York, lived in York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. They also had apartments in St. James’s Palace. York Cottage was perfect for the young newly-weds, who preferred a simple life. May gave birth to six children: Edward, Albert, Mary, Henry, George and John.

As was usual for the upper-classes, a nanny took care of the children, however, May was a loving mother who loved to spend time with her children. She has a real ‘fun-side’ to her character and would teach them history and music. Edward wrote of his mother: “Her soft voice, her cultivated mind, the cosy room over-flowing with personal treasures were all inseparable ingredients of the happiness associated with this last hour of a child’s day --- Such was my mother’s pride in her children that everything that happened to each one was of the utmost importance to her. With the birth of each new child, Mama started an album in which she painstakingly recorded each progressive stage of our childhood.”

As the Duchess of York, May carried out many ‘public duties’ with her husband. She became the patron of the London Needlework Guild (1897). Samples of May’s own embroidery range from chair seats to tea cosies. In 1901, her father-in-law ascended to the throne, after Queen Victoria died. George and Mary were now known as the “Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York.” They toured the British Empire for eight months, visiting Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt, Ceylon, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, South Africa and Canada. This was the first time ‘Royals’ had taken such an ambitious tour. May broke down crying, knowing that she would have to leave the children for such a long time, but the Duchess knew that they were safe ‘in the care of their grandparents’ --- the King and Queen.

On the King’s sixtieth birthday, 9th November 1901, George was created the Prince of Wales, making May the Princess of Wales. Now the couple moved into Marlborough House. In 1904, there was another tour to Austria-Hungary and Wurttemberg. In 1905, there was another eight months tour of India and, almost immediately after that, a trip to Spain for the wedding of King Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. Only a week after returning to Britain, the Prince and Princess of Wales went to Norway for the coronation of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud (George’s brother-in-law and sister).

In 1910, King Edward VII died and George ascended to the throne. May was crowned as the Queen Consort to King George V on 22nd June, 1911 at Westminster Abbey. The new King and Queen toured India for the Delhi Durbar (held on 12th December 1911), and then toured the sub-continent as the Emperor and Empress of India. They returned to Britain in February.

Although she was on ‘good terms’ with her mother-in-law, becoming ‘Consort’ brought May into conflict with Queen Alexandra, as the now ‘redundant’ Queen (Alexandra) could be stubborn. For example, some of the Royal Jewels which should now have passed to May, the new Queen Consort, and her mother-in-law refused to give up.

May supported her husband during World War One and afterwards, well into the latter half of his reign. She used to advise her husband on his speeches and used her ‘extensive knowledge’ of history and royalty to advice the King on matters which affected his position. George appreciated his wife’s help and support, intelligence and discretion, as well as her judgement. May was able to maintain her air of self-assured calm during ‘all’ of her public engagements throughout her life.

When her husband became very ill with lung problems (late 1920’s), May became devoted to the King’s care. In 1928, when one of George’s doctors was asked who had saved the King’s life, Sir Farquar Buzzard replied: “The Queen.”

In 1935, King George V and Queen Mary celebrated their Silver Jubilee with the celebrations taking place throughout the British Empire. During his speech, George paid public tribute to his wife “with great emotion and sincerity.”

In 1936, 20th January, King George V died. Now “the Queen Mother”, May was known as “Her Majesty Queen Mary.” Her eldest son, Edward VII, abdicated in order to marry the divorced American Wallis Simpson. May could not understand how he could put his personal feelings before his Royal duty, so she now turned her attention to her second son, Prince Albert the Duke of York, who now became King George VI. When May attended the Coronation, she was the first British dowager Queen to do so.

May now took an interest in her granddaughters, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, especially in their upbringing. He delighted the young Princesses by taking them to art galleries and museums in London.

During World War Two, although evacuating to Badminton House, Gloucestershire, and May still supported the war effort (and therefore her son, the King) by visiting troops and factories and by directing the gathering of scrap materials. ‘She was known to offer lifts to soldiers she spotted on the road.’ May’s youngest surviving son, Prince George, Duke of Kent, was killed (in an air crash) on active service. In 1945, after the war had finished, the dowager Queen returned to Marlborough House.

During her life, May was an eager collector of objects and pictures with a Royal connection. She was also known to commission many gifts of jewellery, which May presented to her ladies-in-waiting on the occasion of their engagements.

In 1952, King George VI died, and May watched as her granddaughter, the now Elizabeth II, ascended to the throne. Mary, herself, died on 24th March, 1953, in her sleep at 85 years of age. This was ten weeks before her granddaughter’s Coronation, (which still went ahead as Mary instructed in the case of her own death). Mary was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, beside her husband, the late King George V.

I knew very little about this Queen before my research into her life. Like her husband, Mary (“May”) comes across as a very human and caring woman, who used her position to help others, those who were less fortunate than herself, as well as her husband and family. The Ocean liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Mary 2 were named after “May,” in her honour, as was the Queen Mary College at the University of London. This Queen Consort was totally dedicated to her husband and her position.

(My research comes from: Wikipedia and Biography.com)